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Speech by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev at the official dinner in the Gulustan Palace in honor of heads of states and delegations on occasion of the foundation ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main oil pipeline – September 18, 2002

Distinguished President of the Turkish Republic Ahmet Necdet Sezer!

Distinguished President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze!

Distinguished guests and friends!

Today is a historical day for us. Today we started the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) main oil pipeline we had been working on and willing to realize for a few years. I am pleased that we are doing it together with Turkey, Georgia, and the United States. The United States Secretary of Energy took part at the ceremony, but couldn`t join the dinner due to his urgent business in Tokyo.

Despite the Baku wind, we had a great ceremony at Sengechal. We laid the foundation stone for the BTC main oil pipeline. In this regard, we – President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President Eduard Shevardnadze, United States Secretary of Energy, and I made speeches there, expressing our opinions and wishes on the BTC. I don`t want to talk about it now at dinner. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in preparation and realization of the BTC.

I specially thank President of Turkey Mr. Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President of Georgia Mr. Eduard Shevardnadze, United States Secretary of Energy Mr. Spencer Abraham. But there are those who made more efforts than us and together with us. First, Azerbaijan International Operating Company and the companies it includes, as well as State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR)…Highly appreciating what they have done so far, I declare that this job meets international standards and will meet our wishes and expectations related to oil production in the Caspian Sea. Thus, I thank those companies and emphasize their professionalism. I also thank all our oil workers, constructors, workers, Azerbaijani people, expatriates from different countries and our friends working on these projects.

I want to underline special efforts and high-level leadership of Mr. Woodward.

The construction of the BTC main oil pipeline started. I congratulate you and wish the BTC pipeline good luck.

Let us raise our goblets.

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Distinguished President of the Turkish Republic Ahmet Necdet Sezer!

Distinguished President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze!

Distinguished guests and friends!

The BTC pipeline runs through three countries. Oil is and will further be extracted. Naturally, we need a very suitable route to export oil to world markets. We didn`t need to think a lot as we started the BTC project in 1994 together with Turkey and Georgia.

We started to work on the project with Turkey, its government, the late President Turgut Ozal, former President Suleyman Demirel. The project could not be implemented without Turkey. We did not want the pipeline to run through a country other than Turkey. Our cooperation has been very productive. Turkish companies have done a lot here. We always consulted and we adopted the 1998 Ankara declaration on construction of the BTC main oil pipeline. Later in 1999 a relevant treaty was signed at OSCE summit in Istanbul. The treaty was signed by presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, was joined by the president of Kazakhstan. More importantly, the former US president Bill Clinton also signed the document.

The project started in 1999. Azerbaijan and Turkey have been closely cooperating within the frames of the project. President of Turkey Mr. Ahmet Necdet Sezer has made a lot of efforts with us for the implementation of the project.

Turkey is a fraternal and friendly nation for us. Turkish and Azerbaijani people have ancient friendly and brotherly relations. Turkey is always a stronghold for us. Turkey is our friend. We will always continue our friendship with Turkey.

Please let us raise our goblets to the Turkish Republic, the Turkish people, the President of Turkey Mr. Ahmet Necdet Sezer.